In His Image
by Ruffyan
Summary: A stranger joins MutantX. Eckhart's daughter...? 4 chapters, edited to reduce confusion. Thankx for feedback. sighs yes, I'm going to have to rework this. Please RR.
1. Gathering

DISCLAIMER: Just having fun. I don't own any of the Mutant X characters, just Jennifer and Natalia, and I want to thank the producers and writers of this wonderful show for sharing their creativity and genius with us and inspiring our little attempts at fanfiction.  
  
In an abandoned building in Sector 510, a dust covered figure crawled painfully from a pile of rubble. Smoke and dust still hung in the air as if from an explosion. The abandoned building teetered precariously. The woman appeared to be badly injured, dazed, and exhausted. She pulled herself a couple more feet along the ground with her arms, her feet useless. Gasping for breath, she looked around wildly, as if expecting pursuers then overcome with exhaustion, her head dropped and she lay senseless on the ground.  
  
At Sanctuary, Adam and Jesse monitored the unusual activity from a remote distance. "There's a bizarre energy reading in Sector 510: It appears to be geomagnetic disturbance, but the signals are pretty distorted." Jesse said.  
  
Adam nodded thoughtfully. "Close up on it. Some aspects of that signal's pattern are too concentrated to be geomagnetic." he stared at the screen, adjusted some parameters. He frowned and shook his head. "It's more than a simple geomagnetic disturbance, Jesse. I'm not absolutely certain, but it seems to have a teleportation signature." He frowned again.  
  
Emma approached from around the corner. "The GSA just picked up on this event as well, Adam. We intercepted a message and they are sending out a team."  
  
"OK." Adam replied. "Jesse, Brennan, take the Double-Helix out to the location. There may be a New Mutant involved. Watch your backs".  
  
  
  
AT SECTOR 510....  
  
A metal girder creaked ominously above the prone figure. A moment later it started to fall. A bolt of electricity deflected it neatly to the side as Brennan arrived on the scene. Jesse slung the woman over his shoulder and the two men hurried out of the doomed building.  
  
Moments later, GSA agents arrived on the scene, in time to witness the stone and steel building collapse.  
  
  
  
At Sanctuary, the stranger was carefully laid out in the laboratory. Shalimar gently wiped the dust and grit from the woman's eyes and face. "She seems to be in pretty good shape, for all that she seems to have gone through" she said. The stranger appeared to be early 30's, female, long black hair. She was still pale, with facial features typical of a mid- Pacific islander, tall and built like a warrior princess. Jesse queried, "How's that gash on her arm?"  
  
"What gash?" Shal responded. "Well, my jacket is stained with blood from her arm when I picked her up. I bandaged it." Jesse replied.  
  
"Hmm. I was wondering why her arm was bandaged. There's no damage there." Shal returned. Adam eyebrows rose thoughtfully. He studied the unconscious figure silently.  
  
Without warning, the woman's eyes opened. She gazed silently at the ceiling. "Ha gwaei bwana aeh?" She asked. Adam's eyes lit up in surprised comprehension.  
  
Stepping forward to their guest he replied "Bwaiena ay- ee ta" he replied cordially. Emma, Shal, Brennan and Jessie looked at their leader in surprise. "An Old world dialect," he said with a bemused smile. "I just told her that she is among friends".  
  
The woman, catlike, pulled herself up to a sitting position. Her eyes were dark, steel gray with green highlights that seemed to randomly change to brown. "I can speak your language too," she replied. "Where did you learn the language of the Elders?" she demanded of Adam.  
  
"Where did you learn English?" Adam countered with a smile. The woman relaxed and allowed herself a smile. "Maybe I have escaped," she said so quietly that only Adam and Shalimar heard. "What's your name?" Adam asked.  
  
"I am Natalia," She answered, pausing because she couldn't remember her last name.  
  
"You said you escaped. Are you in trouble?" Adam asked. The woman looked at him intently without answering. Something was so familiar about him. It bothered her immensely because she wasn't sure if he was friend or foe. Adam studied the dark haired woman wondering why she seemed so familiar. Emma unobtrusively opened her telempathic ability to see if their guest was trying to influence Adam. There was nothing except a vague sense of recognition. Emma shrugged. The foursome moved off while their leader conversed with their guest.  
  
  
  
A few days later found Natalia quite at home with the Mutant X group. Her recovery had been remarkably fast. Adam had assessed her talents so far to be Molecular with advanced Regenerative powers, possibly Feral, possibly Psionic. But there were too many other clues hinting at other powers she might have that he could not ignore. The newcomer permitted Adam to draw a blood sample for analysis. "Hey, knock yourself out," she had said jovially.  
  
"How did you get here, Tal?" He had asked again. She had shrugged him off, but not before Adam caught that haunted look in her eyes.  
  
"I'm trying to help you, Natalia. I can't do that if you won't provide me the information I need."  
  
" Why don't you have your telepath pull it out of my brain?" Natalia replied frustrated. "If I could remember, I would tell you, Adam."  
  
Adam sighed. "Take your time, Tal. You've been through a lot and hopefully your memory will return. The building that Jesse pulled you out of was structurally compromised as the result of some incredible force. You were in that building, possibly in the middle of the blast. It's a miracle that you lived though it-probably thanks to your regenerative powers."  
  
Natalia's eyes were thoughtful. "Or could I have caused the blast?" She wondered.  
  
Later that day, Natalia observed Adam at work in the lab. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Well," Adam replied with an amused twinkle in his eye," let's see if there is anything here that you recognize."  
  
The woman strolled serenely through the lab, perusing each area. Pleased, she began naming off the work areas and their purposes. "I'm not exactly sure how you've configured the settings and controls, but I believe I understand the functions." Adam gave her an amazed but delighted look.  
  
Tal turned to him suddenly, serious. "I've taken the liberty to study the current technology on the Internet these past few days. Who are you, Adam? Why do you use such advanced technology in this world?" Adam returned an evasive look, but then gazed at her intently, wondering. And she, meeting that gaze had an even stronger sense of deja-vu. "You.are so familiar-I.I feel as if I've always known you," Natalia said almost reverently. Not many people know my native language. Where did you learn it?"  
  
Adam replied puzzled, "Natalia, I feel as if we've been friends before too, and I don't know how I just suddenly picked up your language." He shook his head, still wondering, and wandered away.  
  
Later, Adam asked his guest, "How is it that you recognized most of the lab instrumentation?"  
  
"Lucky guesses," she tossed back teasingly. "How about my blood test results or do you need more blood?"  
  
"Well, now that you mention it, the results were largely inconclusive leading me to want to question you further." Adam stated matter of fact. "Do you have any knowledge or memory of your powers, or where you came from?"  
  
Natalia buried her head in her hands. "I remember running from someone, who, I don't know. I dived. I remember falling, falling forever, then impact and great pain. But it was quiet and I was alone." She looked up, agonized, at Adam. "I wish I could remember who I was running from and where I was before, and why you seem so familiar. Was I running from you? Why do I feel so much like I'm home? Are there any records we could check, fingerprints, retinal scans?" She laughed ruefully; "So many questions. I don't even remember my last name."  
  
Adam took Natalia's hand compassionately. "We know that you have advanced Regenerative abilities, which would put you in the Molecular category. Shalimar senses Feral about you; perhaps, if you feel up to it, you could spar with Shalimar and test that theory further. I feel as if there is much more potential locked up here, but right now, I couldn't even try to guess." Adam shook his head thoughtfully. "Or what if we were to subject you to holographic simulated situations that would challenge your abilities, ones that you might have, but have not yet surfaced? It's possible that some of these might surface. The only danger is," said Adam with a grin, "that if you don't have the abilities to deal with the hologram, you'll get your @$$ kicked."  
  
For a fleeting moment, Natalia seemed to remember something. Her eyes became animated, but then the look passed. "Let's do it, then," she replied.  
  
  
  
At Genomex, a very subdued GSA officer faced his white haired superior. "Mr. Hall, you did not recover a body?" Eckhart questioned sternly. "We had clear indications of a life force involved in this anomaly. All you brought back was blood stained piece of clothing." "There was no body at the site, sir." The officer replied fearfully respectful.  
  
Eckhart was apparently having one of his 'better' days. He replied, "Hmm. It was not a total loss, however. We were able to run tests on the blood on the clothing and found evidence that its owner was, is a New Mutant, female with at least regenerative powers. We must find out who she is, capture her and study her valuable DNA." Eckhart dismissed Mr. Hall with a curt nod.  
  
  
  
Natalia had been with Mutant X for nearly 2 weeks. She and Shalimar had finally set up a contest on the Dojo. They were now sparring, Adam, Emma and Brennan watching nearby. Shalimar opened with a drop kick to Tal's midriff, which she easily deflected. Tal crouched catlike, watching for the opening. Lunging across the room, Shal bounded up the wall and dropped down on Tal at incredible speed. Just as quickly, Tal rolled out of the way and was back on her feet instantly, eyes flashing. Tal immediately lunged, knocking Shalimar back off her feet, but the golden haired Feral used the backward momentum to back flip into the air and recover. Swinging fist first, then foot at the dark haired one, Shalimar advanced while Tal retreated, parrying the blows to her body.  
  
Adam motioned at Brennan to enter the combat exercise. Jesse started to protest, but thought better of it. As he entered the platform, Brennan nodded at Shalimar and crept behind Natalia. Shalimar climbed the wall while Brennan quickly formed a small electrical arc in his hand and delivered the small bolt to Natalia. The dark haired woman turned on him and roared with surprise, her eyes going momentarily Catlike. Shalimar smiled, dropped down on Natalia and cuffed her lightly as a "tag, you're it" and sprang away. Natalia still breathing heavily recovered her composure and placed both her adversaries in her sight. As Shalimar and Brennan advanced kicking, Natalia sprang partially up the wall and dropped down on her quarry, which predictably, had separated just before she was able to hit them. Natalia was facing Shalimar on one side, Brennan on the other. Brennan was preparing another bolt. Natalia was keenly aware of everything going on around her. Shal lunged at her from one side, Brennan threw the bolt. Tal ducked. The bolt missed Shalimar, who promptly delivered a successful midriff blow to the dark haired woman. Brennan set up and threw another low voltage bolt.  
  
Tal hissed in pain and reflexively threw a countering force field between her and Brennan, holding it in place with a motion of her hand. Puzzled, Brennan threw a bolt at the nearly invisible barrier and howled when his bolt came back at him. Shalimar paused and stared incredulously, then sprang forward at her opponent. Talia motioned with her other hand at Shal, who suddenly bounced off a similar near invisible force field. Shal rolled on the floor and was up on her feet in a flash. She gingerly approached the wall that Natalia had created. "It's solid" she said.  
  
"Reflects my electrical bolts too" Brennan added.  
  
"Hold that thought a moment longer," a smiling Adam asked Natalia. He and the rest of the group tried to gain access to the entrapped Shalimar and Brennan through the force fields. "I can phase through it, but wouldn't be able to get anyone on the other side out" Jesse said. Emma hugged Natalia encouragingly. Adam nodded at Tal, who promptly turned off the retaining fields by withdrawing her hands. Giving her a hug around the shoulders, Adam said "I knew we'd be able to uncover more of your mysterious past in combat situation."  
  
Natalia reproached him, "You said that I'd be subjected to holographic situations, not with live people!" Adam nodded in agreement smiling. "Yes, but you must always be ready to deal with surprises. It could bring out the best in you." He slapped her on the back affectionately and pleased, strolled back to his lab.  
  
A week later, Jesse found a request on MutantX's anonymous website to meet with a New Mutant who claimed to have Psionic abilities. He also found a corresponding GSA report regarding a New Mutant with highly developed Psionic abilities. There was an urgent mandate to capture him. Adam assessed the situation. "Shalimar, Tal, Emma," he said, "I expect Emma to make the contact with 'Fitzpatrick', but with Eckhart's people nosing around, we'll need enough backup to get him away quickly.".......... 


	2. One Point Five

The 3 women walked through a dirty alley of a street lined with ancient 2 and 3 story houses. A chain-link fence separated a row of houses from a second property. It was at the end of this street that they had arranged to meet the New Mutant. A young man approached the women warily. He passed by on the other side, observing them nervously, and then doubled back toward them. Emma stepped away from the group. "Fitzpatrick?" She addressed him using the agreed-upon name. The young man approached her. "Yes, I am Fitzpatrick." "We can get you to a safe-house" Emma told him. "There are other people out looking to capture you for your gift." The man appraised her, his blue eyes suddenly turning dark as he read her mind.  
  
Emma reeled back dizzily. "Hey, there's no need to do that!" she protested.  
  
"But there is," Fitzpatrick replied. "I can read your mind as if you were speaking your innermost thoughts. The information is valuable. Too valuable to keep to myself."  
  
"HEY!! What are you doing to my friend?" Shalimar jumped into the conversation.  
  
"You're sleepy," Fitzpatrick said, directing his darkened gaze at her. Immediately, the blond woman started to fall forward in total exhaustion. Emma and Natalia caught her.  
  
Tal glared furiously at the man then instinctively held Shalimar's head between her hands. "C'mon, Shal. Fight it, Fight it!" She said fiercely, her eyes suddenly changing to a shade of red.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Emma asked Fitzpatrick forcing herself to keep calm. The man smiled crookedly. "I'll access all your memories and sell them to the highest bidder."  
  
"We could be your friends," Emma countered. "Why would you want to sell out potential allies?"  
  
"I don't need any allies." Fitz returned arrogantly.  
  
"So your posting was meant to lure us to you?"  
  
Fitzpatrick smiled evilly. Emma looked aside for a moment and envisioned Fitzpatrick blinded, and then mentally threw the image at him. The young man's gaze unfocused momentarily, then he laughed. "I'm a little beyond your mind tricks, Emma. You see, I've accessed your minds. I know who you and Shalimar friend are and what you can do. Now I'm going to blow your minds away." He turned on her and Emma started to cautiously back away toward her teammates. His eyes had changed back to those terrifying black orbs.  
  
Shalimar opened her eyes groggily. She felt like her mind was clearing and straightened when she saw Natalia still there watching her intently. Her eyes were strange, glowing red, not Feral. "Remember me, my friend." Natalia said through a mind-link. Shalimar was alarmed at the depth of finality in her words.  
  
Fitzpatrick smiled a really nasty smile at Emma. He saw that Shal and Tal had turned toward him. "Now for the dark-haired lady." He said anticipating.  
  
"Lockdown," Shalimar heard Natalia say softly to herself.  
  
Fitzpatrick directed his Psionic powers at Natalia. "You can't move," he suggested. Natalia's eyes went from a dull red glow to a fiery-red. She continued to walk toward the man. Shalimar and Emma tried to move to assist, but were riveted in place. The man's eyes were totally black, an unnerving sight to see. "I will have your mind," he shouted angrily. Natalia's eyes blazed fire.  
  
Emma tried to tune in, but Tal, without turning, urgently told her, "No Emma, back away, both of you." Emma realized that her friend had not spoken a work, but had conveyed the thought telepathically. Suddenly, both Emma and Shalimar were free of the paralysis that held them in place. "RUN!" Natalia shouted into their minds. Unable to do anything else but comply, they ran for cover. Natalia still focused on Fitzpatrick motioned toward them with her hands, projecting her force-field at their backs causing them to tumble under a nearby porch.  
  
A gray field was forming in front of Fitzpatrick's eyes; a red one in front of Natalia as they advanced then stopped about 10 feet from each other. Neither would break eye contact. The fields rapidly intensified and extended, almost like 2 stars going nova. Their Psionic fields collided. Shal and Emma, furthest from the Psionic blast in the hiding place that Natalia had thrown them into, fell senseless. Fitz's black eyes widened in disbelief as he contacted Natalia's mind to extract it. He fell comatose with that expression forever etched on his face. Natalia grasped her head and doubled over in pain, and lost consciousness.  
  
A little later, Shalimar and Emma regained consciousness. "What are we doing here?" Shal asked.  
  
"I don't know," Emma replied with a shrug.  
  
"Shhh, someone's coming" Shalimar hissed. They retreated further back in their hideaway. Trench coated GSA agents converged at the site. Shalimar and Emma watched silently as they performed their methodical search, found Fitzpatrick's and Natalia's unconscious forms and took them away.  
  
"Who were those 2 people?" Shalimar wondered aloud.  
  
"I don't know, but I feel as if we're missing something," Emma answered thoughtfully.  
  
At Genomex, Eckhart was waiting in the lab in anticipation. Two New Mutants had been successfully retrieved, the male was apparently the Psionic that they had been tracking for days, but there was a second one too. Mr. Hall approached him, staying a discreet distance from his employer. Eckhart looked over at him, secretly enjoying the fear he instilled in his employee. He glowered momentarily. "I take it that there were no witnesses," he stated, rather than questioned.  
  
"No sir. I had the area checked out thoroughly," Mr. Hall answered quickly.  
  
GSA agents loaded Natalia's body on the table next to Eckhart. He gave her a cursory glance, then back at his intimidated officer. Having successfully raised Hall's fear levels, Eckhart then relented with, "Nicely done, Mr. Hall." There was a tight caricature of a smile and a brief nod. Mr. Hall breathed an inaudible sigh of relief and exited quickly, before Eckhart could change his mind.  
  
Eckhart then turned to Natalia's unconscious form to study her. He frowned, puzzled then displeased. Advance reports estimated this woman to be in her late 20's, but she looked more like a teenager-mid teens to be exact, he thought. Dark haired. What powers she would bring to the GSA, he wondered.  
  
A lab assistant cautiously approached him with a report. "Preliminary report, sir." Still looking intently at Natalia, Eckhart took the report with a gloved hand and dismissed the assistant. He then perused the report, unaware that he was leaning against Natalia's shoulder and that somehow, even unconscious with her cerebral cortex shut down, she was still reaching out, assimilating information...from him. **** The report read:  
  
ASSESSMENT SUBJECT: Jennifer Doe Gender: Female Articles: jewelry, ring-possibly wedding band, bracelet, earrings Age: approximately early 20's Documents: none Identification: Fingerprints: NO MATCH Hair: Brown Retinal: SEARCHING Eyes: Brown/gray Blood: INCOMPLETE Height: 5'9" Physical condition: vital signs within normal ranges Weight: 140 Muscle tone: good Brain activity: no sign of cognitive activity  
  
Eckhart knew that Dr. Harrison would be taking care of the blood work. He would have to have the doctor verify the eyes and age, though. Eckhart didn't like contradictions or errors and he had no patience for incomplete work.  
  
"Jennifer Doe." He thought, peering closely at the unconscious figure, feeling a strange affinity for her. "She is but a child. What a shame her mind was shut down." Straightening up, he instructed the attending physician, "Put this one on life support and electroshock therapy if necessary. Do whatever you can to revive her. She may have valuable information."  
  
  
  
Back at Sanctuary, Emma and Shalimar walked in. "How did it go?" Adam asked, then concerned, "Where's Natalia?"  
  
"Natalia?" Emma echoed, looking blankly at Adam, then at Shalimar. Shalimar shrugged innocently.  
  
Adam suddenly felt as if the bottom dropped out of his soul and a feeling of dread swept over him. He opened his mouth to say something, his eyes filled with a worried expression. "Fitzpatrick. What do you know of Fitzpatrick?" He demanded hollowly. Again, there were the blank expressions. Almost frantic with anxiety, Adam exclaimed, "Do you remember ANYTHING of the mission?"  
  
Shalimar regarded him, trying to think back, searching for clues. "Adam, we did leave a fairly deserted area of town."  
  
"We were unconscious," Emma added, "but somehow hidden. When we regained consciousness, we saw GSA take 2 bodies away."  
  
Adam closed his eyes in pain. "They've got Natalia, and "Fitzpatrick"." Even as he shook his head, his mind was racing, measuring options. "You have no idea if they are alive," he stated rather than asked. "Come to the lab." As he herded them down the hallway he said, "I've got to run some scans and tests.find out why you've lost memory of that incident.can we recover them.could Fitzpatrick have turned on you? He said he's Psionic. He could have wiped your memory. It doesn't match up. Why were he and Natalia unconscious?"  
  
In the Lab, Shalimar stretched out in the body-length chair. Adam placed an open helmet over her head, designed to restrain movement and protect areas of the brain not being examined. He turned on a wide-spectrum beam that encompassed her head, functioning sort of like a cat scan. Staring intently at the monitor, Adam noted that a discreet area of the cerebral cortex seemed abnormal; dark, no activity. Frowning, he made some calculations and punched in a number on the panel. A thin beam of light lasting about 2 seconds then shot out at Shalimar's head. Her eyes suddenly widened and she drew in her breath in a horrified gasp.  
  
"Adam, he attacked us! Natalia stood up to him and .." Adam gently quieted her, reminding her that Emma was next. For the next 20 minutes, the ladies filled him in on their disastrous mission. "Comm-link has been deactivated," Adam said concernedly. "Emma, can you establish any kind of contact with her?" Emma closed her eyes and telempathically scanned Psionic space for her friend's impression.  
  
"Nothing, Adam. It's scary. It's almost as if she doesn't exist."  
  
Her team mates shot anxious looks at her. "Don't say that, Emma," Shalimar protested.  
  
AT GENOMEX......  
  
Eckhart returned to the unconscious figure of Jennifer Doe. To say he was intrigued was putting it lightly. He looked at the brain activity monitor; it was still straight-lined at the cerebral cortex. "So young," he thought. They had just drawn a blood sample. He would look forward to seeing the results in a few hours. He stared at the child a little longer, wondering where she may have come from and what she had been doing in that alley with a powerful Psionic and what had happened to put both of them into unconscious states. Perhaps the two were related. Blood tests would clarify that.  
  
AT SANCTUARY.....  
  
Adam emerged from his laboratory, looking worn but hopeful. The Genomex database had shown blood work results on Jennifer Doe that clearly did not match Natalia's profile, in fact, almost everything had not matched. He wondered if the records had been falsified to hide something.  
  
  
  
IN ECKHART'S OFFICE....  
  
Dr. Harrison personally delivered the updated profile on Jennifer Doe. Eckhart looked at it then read it again more closely. "There's got to be some mistake." Eckhart stated flatly.  
  
"I wish I could say that, but we repeated the tests multiple times." Dr. Harrison replied, looking at Eckhart speculatively. "Her DNA matches yours in all the critical areas by a factor of 70% which would more than establish paternity. Mason, it appears that this girl is your daughter."  
  
"She appears to be 15 or 16 years old. Yes, it could be possible." Eckhart sighed. Thinking back he said wistfully, "I wonder who the mother is." Perusing the report again, he said, "The girl has New Mutant abilities: Feral - class Feline, Molecular - Regenerative." Eckhart glanced up sharply at Dr. Harrison, who nodded knowingly at him.  
  
LATER AT GENOMEX.....  
  
Dr. Harrison was saying, "Transfusion would be too dangerous even with her compatible blood. What would New Mutant blood do to you? We could try extracting the Regenerative components from her, but from the amount of blood we'd need, it could kill her and we don't have a good idea that this would work."  
  
"The child is literally brain dead and means nothing to me." Eckhart stated coldly. "Run in-vitro tests on both our blood to see what preliminary effects would be obtained." He turned his back, dismissing the Doctor. His thoughts drifted strangely to the story of the goose that laid the golden egg. He wondered to himself if this "child of his" were to regain consciousness, if her self-healing abilities could be turned outward instead of having to drain her of her blood. Abruptly, he headed back to the lab to observe the girl.  
  
  
  
AT SANCTUARY....  
  
Adam had assembled the full team to brainstorm. "We are fairly certain that the woman they took away is Natalia. On the other hand, the Genomex report is totally discordant with what we know of Natalia. Could someone be fabricating this data? If this is so, why?"  
  
Jesse speculated, "What if the report was accurate and our premise is true? Could another New Mutant ability have surfaced in Natalia? She is primarily a Molecular and Molecular have been known to have clusters of abilities."  
  
"Very true," said Adam. "So we're looking at the possibility that as a result of that confrontation, she may have morphed to a different appearance. The report says there is no brain activity in the cerebral cortex. Maybe this condition induced some kind of transmutation, causing Natalia to revert to a template state." At the puzzled looks he added, "It's kind of like being blank page, ready to be written into. But this is all conjecture. I've never observed this to happen. "  
  
AT GENOMEX....  
  
Eckhart was staring intently at the unconscious, peaceful face of Jennifer Doe. She had been unconscious for nearly a week. She was an attractive girl. Surely she bore resemblance to her mother; however, he could not place her. He touched the girl's face with a gloved hand. "Will you not speak?" He asked her softly. In response, the straight-line graph on the monitor went wild. Eckhart backed away warily. Dr. Harrison had returned in time to see the monitor change. "Mason, whatever you said to her must have triggered a return to consciousness. Look, she's trying to wake up." 


	3. In Training

The girl's eyes remained closed; however, her eyes seemed to be moving under the closed lids as if she was dreaming. The monitor for her cerebral cortex activity was wild with activity, off the chart then back on for several minutes. Then it smoothed out to something resembling normal activity. Jennifer Doe opened her eyes and silently regarded her two observers with brooding hazel eyes that were reflections of Eckhart's. Despite himself, Dr. Harrison felt a chill run down his spine. "In his image." he thought. She tried to move, but was still held down by restraints.  
  
Looking at the restraints then at the two men, she opened her mouth to speak. Turning soft, almost expressionless eyes at Eckhart, she asked, "Who are you?"  
  
Eckhart seemed captivated. He smiled a rare smile. "I am Mason Eckhart. Welcome to Genomex. Who are you?"  
  
The girl turned puzzled eyes inward. "I don't remember that. I do remember a man saying 'I will have your mind', and I threw a force field. There was a huge explosion and now I'm here. Is this Genomex a hospital?"  
  
"It is a genetics research firm." Dr. Harrison replied.  
  
Jennifer raised an eyebrow and tried her restraints again. Eckhart nodded at him, his eyes bright with excitement. Harrison activated a function button on the control panel that released Jennifer from the restraints. He watched the young woman warily. Jennifer rubbed her wrists then catlike, pulled herself up into a sitting position and regarded the two men with somber, impassive eyes. There was a subtle arrogance about her that made Dr. Harrison uneasy.  
  
Eckhart broke the silence. "In the absence of your remembering your name, we have named you Jennifer. Dr. Harrison will be installing a subdermal governor into the back of your neck. It is a device that will help you with your powers, and will help us to study them."  
  
"So I am to be an experiment?" she asked.  
  
Eckhart only stared at her in reply. Dr. Harrison approached with the gun. "Very well," she relented. Harrison pulled a handful of her long black hair to the side to expose the base of her neck. He pressed the nozzle of the gun to the site and pressed the trigger. Jennifer sat impassively through the procedure, only lifting an eyebrow slightly as the gun delivered the small circular device into her spine with a sting.  
  
Eckhart continued to study Jennifer's expression. He added, "It will also keep your powers under control so that you will use them only when we permit it."  
  
Jennifer looked at him gravely. "I understand, Mr. Eckhart."  
  
Days turned into weeks within Genomex for Jennifer Doe. She submitted to examinations and tests of all kinds. Physical therapy seemed pointless as it turned out that she recovered from whatever had put her in a coma with unusual speed. Dr. Harrison, instead, put Jennifer into advanced GSA training with Eckhart's full approval. The white-haired GSA leader kept close tabs on Jennifer's progress. At the end of Jennifer's 3rd week stay at Genomex, Eckhart accompanied Jennifer into what looked like a small arena. "This particular training facility is designed to sharpen the fighting skills of our agents. Although your training is incomplete I have full confidence in your abilities. Only the most worthy will walk out. This exercise will test all of your skills beyond your normal limits."  
  
"In other words, you're going to have your guys kill me if I don't kill them, aren't you." she stated flatly.  
  
"Unless you have other ideas." he replied coldly. "I have given you full access to your powers." He looked at her meaningfully, and then turning to the 3 men waiting in the arena said, "Kill her."  
  
Jennifer stared at the white haired man thoughtfully, then devoting her full attention to her opponents, she stepped into the arena. The first agent approached her with fists and feet flailing. Puzzled, Jennifer stood there not knowing what to do. Agent Banley's foot caught her square in the neck. Her head snapped back and she went flying backwards a few feet and landed motionless on the floor.  
  
Eckhart stared disappointed for a minute. "Is she dead?" he asked. It had been too quick, too easy. Banley grabbed her shoulder and shook her roughly. Jennifer's hand moved slowly to her neck. There was an audible click. (Hmm. Instant Chiropractor!) Suddenly her eyes opened, glowering in a way that struck terror into the agent. He looked at her, then at Eckhart who was nearby observing him detachedly. Jennifer crept back to her feet, letting the anger course through her. Three agents were on her now. Each was approaching with that whirling, kicking attack. Jennifer's eyes turned catlike. Springing upwards at the last minute, she clung to the wall high above and watched two of the agents hit each other. She smiled and dropped back down onto the third one and swiftly dispatched him with a blow to the head. The first two agents had regrouped, one on either side of her.  
  
The second agent had pulled out his gun. He was determined not to fail his directive. He took careful aim and shot at the girl while the other agent was distracting her with martial arts arm movements. Jennifer, suddenly aware of danger, whirled quickly, taking the bullet in her left arm. Eckhart leaned forward, totally preoccupied with the scene. The second agent had already reloaded and was taking aim. Without missing a beat, Jennifer assessed the action and with a nod of her head, threw a force field between her and the gunman a moment before he pulled the trigger. There was a resounding explosion. The agent fell back as the bullet bounded off the force field and struck him in the chest.  
  
Agent Banley had decided to fall back on his native mutant power of life force assimilation, but decided to go for the more vulnerable target, an incredible opportunity. Springing at Eckhart, he made a grasping motion with his hand and started to draw away. Eyes wide with surprise, even as he gasped for breath, Eckhart said, "You're making a terrible mistake, Mr. Banley."  
  
Shaking his head triumphantly, Banley said, "I think not, Mr. Eckhart. It's time someone put an end to your perverse experiments." He motioned again, more fiercely to finish him off quickly.  
  
"NO." Jennifer shouted. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"  
  
"What, are you crazy?" Banley exclaimed, still focusing on Eckhart, who was nearly unconscious.  
  
Without answering, Jennifer sprang at him, drop-kicking him in the neck. "That's for taking one of my nine lives," she said. Banley rolled over gasping and struggled to his feet. Eckhart slowly picked himself up off the floor. Jennifer dropped Banley onto his back and started to slowly crush his throat. Eckhart looked at Jennifer, then gazed fascinated at the dying Mr. Banley. Jennifer had a distant, preoccupied expression on her face as she finished off the renegade agent.  
  
Turning to Eckhart, she said carelessly, "Well? How did I do?"  
  
Eckhart had a gratified but wary look in his eyes. He smiled "Nicely done, Jennifer," he answered, struggling to stand by himself. Jennifer offered him her arm. After a moment's hesitation, Eckhart accepted. As they walked the short distance to Dr. Harrison's lab, Eckhart asked innocently, "No hard feelings?"  
  
Jennifer smiled. "None at all. This was a good exercise. I didn't know I could do all that."  
  
"How's the arm?" Eckhart asked conversationally.  
  
"Good," Jennifer replied easily. "Barely left a scar." Tossing her head, she remarked, "Why on earth did I grow this hair so long? I hate it!" Unconsciously, she narrowed her eyes and envisioned what she wanted. A moment later, her dark hair was shoulder-length, styled in shag with long bangs. "That's better," she said as Eckhart's mouth opened in astonishment.  
  
  
  
In the meantime, the MutantX team strolled the streets discussing Natalia's disappearance.  
  
"It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack," Emma was telling Shalimar. "There's nothing out there."  
  
"Yeah. If she was in the vicinity, I'd have a sense of my Feral sister," Shalimar replied, "but where could she be?"  
  
"Probably locked up in a stasis pod," Brennan said.  
  
"Or fighting off Eckhart's goons." Jesse offered. "Look, I think she's at Genomex and we're wasting time combing the streets in search of her."  
  
BACK AT GENOMEX....  
  
Dr. Harrison checked Eckhart out for damage incurred from the confrontation with Mr. Banley. "Mason, you take far too many risks, considering your physical condition."  
  
"I take reasonable risks, Kenneth, but risks nonetheless. I cannot allow my physical limitations to restrict the quality of my life," Eckhart replied. Turning to Jennifer, he said, "Would you care to join me for dinner?"  
  
"Sounds like a marvelous idea." Jennifer replied. "Is there a place around here where I can freshen up?"  
  
Dr. Harrison motioned to a door adjacent to the laboratory. "Make yourself at home."  
  
  
  
The limo pulled up to the restaurant. Eckhart paused while Jennifer emerged from the vehicle. The pair walked silently into the restaurant. "Eckhart," he told the maitre de. The man nodded deferentially. "Right away, sir." He led them to a private booth area secluded from the rest of the business. Jennifer looked up at him from across the booth and smiled mischievously.  
  
OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT.....  
  
"Shalimar," Adam's voice came over the comm-link. "You and Emma meet me in the foyer at the Restaurant de Jena. I want to follow up on a hunch." Shalimar smiled. "That's great, Adam. I'm starved."  
  
"Hey, what about us?" Jesse and Brennan protested.  
  
"This is not a dinner date," Adam replied a little tersely. "I need both of you to patrol the outer parameters surrounding the restaurant. There will probably be GSA agents in the vicinity."  
  
INSIDE THE RESTAURANT.....  
  
The waiter returned with a pair of elegant water glasses. Eckhart lifted his slightly and looking at Jennifer said, "To your success, Jennifer." He turned his head slightly to the side to better observe this young lady who unbeknownst to her, was his daughter.  
  
She looked at him inquisitively. "Sir?"  
  
Eckhart tried a smile. "Just thinking."  
  
Just then, the waiter delivered a single platter arranged with partially steamed assorted vegetables and a small prime rib in front of the girl. Jennifer's eyes fixated on the meat the way a cat would eye a mouse. "That will be all," Eckhart was telling the waiter. Jennifer stabbed her fork into the center of the meat and started to lift the entire piece to her mouth.  
  
Incredulous, Eckhart stood up, leaned across the table and glared at her. "Didn't your mother teach you any table manners?"  
  
Jennifer stopped in mid motion of taking a huge bite out of the piece of meat hanging off her fork. Eckhart glared at her with a mixture of fury and embarrassment. His hand pulled her similarly gloved hand back down to the plate. "Let go," he ordered in a half whisper, hoping desperately that they were the only ones in this dining area. Eckhart sighed, and then grimly cut the meat into little strips for her. "Where did you get such manners," he remarked angrily.  
  
Jennifer, fully chastised, nibbled delicately at her meal. "Aren't you eating anything, Mr. Eckhart?"  
  
He nodded with an uncertain smile. "Of course," he answered, producing a small envelope from his vest pocket. Carefully dispensing the contents into the glass of water, he mixed it then continued to sip from the glass.  
  
"What is that?" The girl asked curiously.  
  
"That is my elixir vitae," he answered. "My dietary intake is extremely limited. This formula allows me to continue to live a fairly normal life."  
  
"Aren't you hungry?" Jennifer asked, intrigued.  
  
"Hunger is irrelevant. It is merely a tool to discipline myself." Eckhart replied softly.  
  
After he had consumed his beverage, Eckhart sat back and watched Jennifer intently. The girl, sensing his gaze looked up at him inquiringly.  
  
"Those laboratory tests we performed on your blood samples revealed that you have enormous potential," Eckhart stated. "They also revealed something else.that you and I are closely related." Eckhart watched for her reaction.  
  
Jennifer's eyes turned thoughtful. The man who recently ordered her killed and was now treating her to dinner was related to her? The perverseness of the thought pleased her. Watching Eckhart's impassive face for clues, she asked, "So does that make you, my uncle or big brother?"  
  
"That would make me your father." He replied still studying her.  
  
Jennifer took in a deep breath and exhaled quietly. "Guess that explains why I like you."  
  
A little later, Jennifer and Mason Eckhart had finished the meal and were discussing training strategies and additional lab testing. Eckhart suddenly looked past Jennifer with intent, guarded look. Jennifer, poised to protect Eckhart, turned to see what had caught his attention.  
  
Adam, flanked by Shalimar and Emma cautiously approached Eckhart's table. The man and young woman who had turned to face them reminded Adam of a pair of wolves, staring at him with watchful, speculative curiosity. "Corrupted." Adam thought bitterly.  
  
Eckhart had a displeased expression on his face which he quickly masked with a cordial demeanor. "Always a surprise to see you, Adam." The girl was looking at Eckhart questioningly. Adam was beginning to doubt his hypothesis. She was so different from what he had expected to find. She had his eyes..  
  
"What do you want?" Eckhart asked, getting to the point.  
  
"To discuss a possible security breach in your operations," Adam replied.  
  
Eckhart looked at Adam skeptically, a sardonic smile crossed his face. "And why would you be concerned about a security breach in my organization?"  
  
Adam smiled almost resignedly. "It concerns her." He nodded at Jennifer and shrugged. "She's not who you think she is."  
  
Jennifer was indignant. "He's lying. I am who I am," she said angrily staring at Adam.  
  
"Stay," Eckhart said mildly, touching her hand, a gesture not lost on Adam. "And even if your story was true, Adam, you know that all New Mutants are welcome at Genomex."  
  
"Yeah. In stasis pods," Emma replied softly.  
  
Adam replied, "I think we can prove it to you. You're aware that Jennifer has the ability to shape-shift, I'm sure." Eckhart remained silent, skeptically watching his adversary turn to Jennifer, who was regarding Adam with loathing, only restrained from attacking him by a word from Eckhart. Adam knelt to face Jennifer at the same level. He was startled at the resemblance this youngster had to Mason Eckhart, especially in her eyes, whose depths seemed to reflect his soul.  
  
"Jennifer," Adam addressed the girl carefully, "you are a Shape-shifter, a person who can change form at will. You were a different person not too long ago, you were one of our friends who had an accident. We believe that we can bring you back to your original form-"  
  
"You're still trying to call me a liar, aren't you? Trying to destroy me?" Jennifer understood the implications of Adam's recovery mission. She looked at Eckhart pleadingly. He regarded her deeply for a moment with somber eyes and touched her outstretched hand again. "Jennifer," he said simply. Her fear vanished.  
  
Suddenly she was seeing images of another woman in her mind. Jennifer shook her head uneasily then noticed one of Adam's companions was staring at her intently. Adam was only a couple feet away. It would be so easy to dispatch him, she thought, but Father didn't want to make a scene here. Emma suddenly had a surprised expression on her face as she picked up on Jennifer's feelings for Eckhart. Adam glanced at Emma questioningly and she shook her head almost imperceptibly.  
  
Shalimar approached the girl. Jennifer sensed the kindred Feral connection with the beautiful woman. "Natalia." Shalimar called her. "I remember you. Try to remember me."  
  
Suddenly Jennifer felt her world coming apart from the core of her being. As confused panic swept over her, she looked desperately to Eckhart for help. "Father!" She cried out to him. He too had realized too late that he was losing her and called her name even as he watched her melt from the appearance of the teenager he had always known to that of a thirty-ish, attractive raven-haired Amazon with fathomless steel-gray eyes. 


	4. XSquared

Their eyes met.  
  
As Natalia re-emerged from the depths in which she had concealed herself, she found herself looking into the soul of a stranger who was just realizing the brutally sudden loss of someone he actually cared about.and that his hopes for a cure for his constant life-threatening condition had been dashed. His absolute vulnerability was laid bare before her. Then she saw the sheer force of will and the warrior courage that girded him. Natalia's eyes softened in momentary compassion, then her lips parted in sudden surprise as he calmly focused his attention on her.  
  
Another devastating loss, he had been thinking. Stoically putting it aside for later, he found himself lost in the eyes of a stranger who moments ago had been his daughter.  
  
Eckhart closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Natalia cradled her head in her hands. Adam hovered over her protectively. "Welcome back, Natalia," he said.  
  
At hearing his voice, Natalia looked up at Adam with a look filled with sunshine. "Oh Adam, it's so wonderful to see you!" Turning to hug Shalimar, she said, "You remembered me. Thank you for bringing me back." Natalia then turned and gave Emma a big hug as well. "You did manage to hold off Fitzpatrick just long enough." she said with a delighted grin.  
  
Eckhart observed the reunion gravely. "You were mentioning a potential security breach," Eckhart mentioned conversationally to Adam. Adam looked at his white-haired adversary sharply.  
  
Glancing at her glove-clad hands then at Eckhart's, Natalia said, "I don't believe we've met."  
  
"I am Mason Eckhart," the man replied with an uncharacteristically soft smile.  
  
"-head of the GSA," Adam finished.  
  
"Ah, the Enemy. Nice to meet you in person, I'm sure." Natalia replied, her studying this nemesis of Mutant X that she had heard so much about with deep knowing eyes. She extended her hand to Eckhart. "I am Natalia," she said pleasantly.  
  
"I'm sure we will be seeing more of each other," Eckhart replied meaningfully, taking her hand lightly then letting go quickly. "Keep in touch," he said devilishly, rising to leave. Two male GSA Agents appeared from out of the woodworks and accompanied Eckhart as he slowly walked away.  
  
Adam's brow furrowed suspiciously at Eckhart's departing figure. "That's not like him," he thought.  
  
As the foursome joined Jesse and Brennan outside the restaurant, Adam hugged Natalia again. "How are you feeling?" He asked.  
  
"Wonderful," she answered, hugging him back.  
  
  
  
LATER AT SANCTUARY.....  
  
Adam and Natalia sat together by the fountain in the beautiful foyer designated as the meditation area. "Do you remember anything that happened after Fitzpatrick attacked you?" Adam asked her.  
  
"No, I'm afraid my last memories were of Fitzpatrick's threatening to take my mind. I realized after Emm and Shal were attacked, the magnitude of power I was up against. At that moment, somehow, my dormant Psionic abilities became activated so I could restore Shalimar. I knew I had to protect my memories so I initiated a lockdown and created a mind-link with Shalimar, knowing that we would eventually connect at the Feral level. Her saying the key word that I had implanted in her mind reopened the door of my mind."  
  
"You took a huge risk, Natalia. We could have lost you." Adam chided gently.  
  
"Life is full of risks. That's what makes it so delicious." She replied, smiling into his eyes. "I didn't realize that I had been out for 3 weeks."  
  
"Yes, you were in a morphed state for far longer than any documented case that I know of. Theoretically, a shape-shifter would have to revert back to his or her original state within 4-24 hours, depending on their capacity. Failure to do so could result in several unfortunate consequences: automatic reversion- occurring at a time not of one's own choosing, dissipation, insanity, death, or becoming locked into the new form with loss of Shape-shifting powers."  
  
Natalia held out her hand and idly watched it turn into a lion's paw then changed it back. Adam's eyes widened with fascination. "Still works." She said lightly.  
  
"I wonder if Eckhart had them work on you while you were there," Adam wondered aloud.  
  
"I'm no child of Genomex," Natalia reassured him quickly. Bemused, she added, "Now where did I know that from?"  
  
Adam caressed her hair lightly, feeling perfect contentment. "Memory's coming back."  
  
LATER THAT NIGHT AT GENOMEX.....  
  
Colin Wolfe, Eckhart's new assistant waited patiently for Eckhart to acknowledge him. It was two-fifty five in the morning and Eckhart had summoned him a few minutes ago. He seemed unusually preoccupied with his thoughts. As Eckhart suddenly became aware of Wolfe's presence he startled imperceptibly. "Your coffee, sir." Wolfe handed Eckhart his coffee as Eckhart quickly pulled himself back to the present. "It would appear that our newest asset has been destroyed by MutantX," he told Wolfe, then looked down with a pained expression. "There is, however, a new member of that renegade group whose capture could potentially make up for our loss. I want you to compile all the information possible on her.  
  
**Mr. Wolfe considered the idea, his large, dark eyes smoldered with activity. He was a New Mutant almost unlimited ability to access computer space. Genomex science had enhanced his Cyonic abilities so that he would be able to obtain retinal scans, fingerprints, and other personal information from a subject simply by being in their presence. The combination of the two abilities made him the perfect bloodhound. There was no personal data that he could not access if it existed anywhere in a database and if he could access the person. The thin, shaved headed man nodded deferentially to Eckhart. "I will get to work on it right away, sir."  
  
Eckhart sat at his desk holding the mug in his hands. Jennifer was lost to him, but he couldn't stop thinking of the woman who replaced her. At the moment of transformation, as he was trying to maintain contact with his daughter, there seemed to have been some kind of connection with the other one, Adam's woman. Eckhart was both disturbed and intrigued at the possibilities.  
  
LATER THAT NIGHT AT SANCTUARY....  
  
"Do you ever sleep?" Brennan asked Natalia jokingly, when he found her in the Meditation area at three in the morning.  
  
"Umm, once in a while," Natalia smiled back, when I need to recharge my batteries."  
  
"Just like Adam." Brennan yawned and shook his head smiling as he walked back to his bedroom.  
  
Natalia went back to her meditations, but kept finding her thoughts drifting back to her last mind-touch with Eckhart. "I'm off center," she thought with some concern. Usually she could let the thoughts and memories pass through her mind until she reached her center of tranquility, but right now her thoughts centered on Mason Eckhart. Maybe she did need some sleep after all. A couple hours later still unsuccessful at moving past that experience, she passed Adam on her way to her room. "Need to recharge." She told him.  
  
"I'm not surprised," he had answered, understanding.  
  
Natalia felt herself drift into a blackness, a welcome relief from the constant flashbacks into Eckhart's tormented soul. Moments later, Jennifer opened her eyes and bewildered, sprang out of the bed, circling like a trapped animal, gazing around the room she was in. Jennifer tried the door. It opened easily.  
  
Emma stirred uneasily in her sleep. Suddenly she was fully awake. They had been invaded!  
  
Shalimar was already awake, stretching luxuriously in the early morning light. Her enhanced animal senses suddenly told her that all was not right in the Sanctuary. "Adam?" she raised her hand to her mouth to speak into the Comm-link.  
  
Jesse and Brennan bolted awake at the urgency in Adam's voice from their comm-links. His voice was strained. "Jennifer's back. Training area, everyone!"  
  
As the Mutant X team converged on the area, they saw Adam and Jennifer circling each other. "You failed to eliminate me, Adam." Jennifer was saying. "That is your first mistake and you will pay dearly for that. This time my father is not here to restrain me." Jennifer threw him a kick that he dodged. Adam retorted, "I was not trying to eliminate you, I was just trying to restore the person from whom you originated. You are too quick to come to conclusions, Jennifer, just like your father."  
  
Jennifer backed up and stopped circling at Adam's acknowledgement of her father. Her dark eyes, suddenly had a lost puppy look. "You.will speak with my father?" she asked with a touch of uncertainty in her voice, remembering how Eckhart had restrained her from hurting Adam at the restaurant despite the animosity he felt for the man. "Stay." He had told her. "Can you bring me back to him? I miss him." The child in her suddenly surfaced and she fought back tears at being in the midst of these strangers and away from her home.  
  
"You're very brave," Shalimar said softly, offering her hand.  
  
Adam looked across at Emma and silently thanked her for her telempathic intervention. Looking back at Jennifer, he said, "I think we can make the arrangements, Jennifer. There are some minor questions, issues that need to be addressed first." Jennifer nodded silently, allowing Shalimar to take her hand.  
  
Jennifer lay uneasily in the lab examination chair as arrays of golden light scanned her body. Shalimar stood nearby to reassure her. Adam looked grim as he looked at the output on the monitor. He kept shaking his head.  
  
"Adam, what's wrong?" Shalimar asked.  
  
"There's no sign of Natalia here. Brain pattern, even the blood type is totally different, " he said, trying to fathom the mystery. "And Jennifer's vital signs are not normal," he said concerned, "which means that Natalia's may be equally at risk."  
  
"Of course," Jennifer retorted. "She could have at least taught me some table manners."  
  
"What do you mean?" Adam asked her intensely searching for any clue.  
  
"Wnen Father scolded me, he asked me if my mother bothered to teach me any table manners," Jennifer said almost sheepishly. "I guess he didn't like the way I handled my dinner."  
  
A look of total comprehension suddenly swept over Adam's face. "Of course!" He half-whispered excitedly.  
  
Shalimar and Jennifer looked at Adam questioningly. Adam's eyes danced with excitement. "Of course!" he kept saying to himself, his hands flying over the panel on the med-board. Eventually, he approached Jennifer with an air of concern. "You had the key to this puzzle, Jennifer. I thank you for revealing it."  
  
The teenager half frowned at him, then graciously accepted the thanks. "What do you want, Adam?" She asked, in a direct imitation of Eckhart.  
  
GENOMEX., NEXT DAY....  
  
Eckhart's eyes flashed at the email message before him. If this was true, Adam was going to be meeting him on terms acceptable to both men. Still, Eckhart would be taking no chances. Mistakes were simply not acceptable. "Mr. Wolfe, you will accompany me to this rendez-vous with my team. Scan every available member of MutantX for identification." Eckhart allowed himself a ghost of a smile. He would take every advantage possible of Adam.  
  
  
  
MEETINGPLACE....  
  
The building was a small laboratory whose administrators Adam had some influence with. Eckhart was waiting patiently in the foyer with Colin Wolfe at his side, knowing that the building had been secured by his people. Adam walked into the foyer, accompanied by Natalia. Colin looked up at Natalia and smiled. She looked at him and smiled back in acknowledgment. Colin Wolfe sent Natalia's retinal scan into the Genomex database. Adam was preoccupied with discussing something with Eckhart while Natalia waited a short distance away, listening and watching for danger.  
  
"Why are you disclosing this information to me, Adam?" Eckhart was asking him.  
  
"This may seem farfetched to you, but Natalia means a great deal to me. Her condition, for which you are partially responsible, is putting her life at risk. I hope to remove that risk from Natalia and at the same time restore Jennifer to you. That's where your interests lie," Adam explained simply.  
  
"So you did not destroy Jennifer?" Eckhart asked hopefully. "And what is this condition that is jeopardizing Natalia's well being?"  
  
"Theoretically, she's pregnant with your child, Mason." Adam replied bluntly, fire in his eyes.  
  
Eckhart blinked incredulously. "You know that's impossible, Adam. I'm shocked that you would even suggest such a thing."  
  
Adam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Natalia believes she has the ability to clone herself. It's the only reasonable explanation and solution for this dual identity problem that is consuming her and Jennifer. We think that somehow, you got assimilated into Natalia's matrix while she unconscious at Genomex, resulting in the creation of a new being whose DNA substantially matches yours, has free will and has her own unique characteristics.."  
  
"Jennifer." Eckhart replied thoughtfully.  
  
Adam nodded. "The only problem is that she is still imbedded within Natalia's matrix. As Jennifer develops and matures, she draws more and more of Natalia's resources and vice versa.  
  
"Yes," Natalia added, "at some point, if we do not separate, either one or both of us will cease to exist. I am quite certain that my personal matrix is capable of supporting the separation, and I am eager to meet Jennifer." Natalia suddenly looked uncertain as she felt some disturbance within her. "We should go to the lab." Turning to Eckhart, she lightly asked, "Care to watch. Dad?"  
  
Adam glowered momentarily at him. Eckhart, still somewhat stunned at the information said, "Sure, why not?"  
  
As the threesome walked quickly to the laboratory, Natalia's eyes started glowing red. "Get your men out of this area of the building now, Mr. Eckhart." Eckhart looked at her in surprise, but upon meeting her gaze, pulled out his cell phone and complied wordlessly. Adam shook his head incredulously.  
  
Natalia started to phase back into Jennifer. "Father!" The youngster turned to Eckhart with a look of total devotion. Adam grimaced internally. She then turned to Adam and said, "Thanks for bringing me back to him."  
  
Jennifer's image melted away and Natalia stood there for a moment. Jennifer and Natalia phased back and forth three more times before Jennifer collapsed. Eckhart caught her as she fell. Holding her limp body in his arms, he looked uneasily at Adam, and said, "She's as light as a feather."  
  
"She's dissipating," Adam replied, concerned.  
  
Natalia then phased back into existence. Her face had a tired, pained expression as she gazed up at Eckhart who was still holding her, and still looking at her uneasily. Suddenly an energy field formed around them, intensifying with every moment. There was a high pitched whine coming from everywhere.  
  
"Natalia!" Adam shouted again and again as he tried to break through the field to rescue her. "Mason!" The brilliant field of light proved to be similar to the force field that Natalia had generated once in practice ages ago. Natalia was now standing, her eyes closed, her expression peaceful. Eckhart was standing motionless beside her, his gaze fixed light years away. Light danced in vertical patterns in and around them. Their images began to look transparent as an unknown force began aligning genetic structure for duplication. The high pitched sound became unbearably loud as a new field, similar to the one that contained Natalia and Eckhart, formed in front of yet intersecting theirs. Adam could see a glow eminate from within Natalia, intensifying quickly until she glowed like the sun. Adam shielded his eyes, fascinated. The incredible light energy suddenly shot out from Natalia like a beam at Eckhart, who in turn, deflected it like a mirror to the new energy field. The adjacent energy field filled with shimmering, intense light for a long moment while the original energy field seemed to grow dim. Adam could see a figure standing in the midst of the light, absorbing it, growing more solid. Natalia and Eckhart suddenly seemed to become conscious of their surroundings n and they, too watched the third figure materialize.  
  
"How are you feeling," Eckhart heard Natalia's voice in his head.  
  
Eckhart felt incredible peace and, yes, happiness as he stood near Natalia, watching the new life emerge. Unable to speak and finding nothing strange about it, he thought back, "incredibly well. We should do this more often." Mason Eckhart was unaware that in his euphoria, he had sent the equivalent of a hug and a light kiss to Natalia.  
  
There was a silvery ripple of laugher from Natalia followed by a sense of being gently caressed by the summer breeze.  
  
The moment seemed to last forever, yet was too short. The energy fields melted away, leaving Eckhart, Natalia and a young woman, about 15 years old, the exact image of Jennifer. Adam had discreetly covered Jennifer with his coat as she emerged naked from the cocoon of energy that had formed her. She thanked him silently with large, dark somber eyes, her father's eyes.  
  
Eckhart had pulled off his glasses and sat in a nearby chair. He looked slightly disorientated and concerned. Natalia took a seat beside him. "Your immune system has not been compromised, Mr. Eckhart. We were in a regenerative field," she said in a faraway voice.  
  
Recovering quickly, Eckhart turned to her and studied her for a long moment. "How was it for you?" He asked devilishly.  
  
Natalia glanced sideways at him and allowed herself a ghost of a smile. Adam and Jennifer approached.  
  
"You're looking well, Mother," Jennifer said appraisingly.  
  
"As do you, my child," Natalia replied. Then following a trace of a long forgotten ritual greeting, raised her left hand, palm outward toward Jennifer. The girl raised her opposing hand and clasped that of her mother's.  
  
"May your strength and courage be that of the lioness, may you always be shielded from evil. Walk in light and in honor and like the chameleon pass unseen, at will, amongst your enemies. Let wisdom guide you into all that is right." Natalia said, gazing intently into the dark depths of her daughter's eyes.  
  
Jennifer nodded solemnly.  
  
Breaking the mood of the moment, Natalia looked at Eckhart and said, "I expect visitation rights, Mason."  
  
His eyes were amused. Your place or mine?" He quipped.  
  
Without missing a beat, Natalia scribbled an address on a piece of paper and passed it over to Eckhart. "If this is acceptable with Jennifer, she nods in agreement I will look for her Sunday morning and you may pick her up Monday night at this address. We can set up a meeting, you and I to discuss other arrangements say, in a few weeks, and." looking very seriously at Eckhart, ".if I ever hear that you've put Jennifer in a stasis pod, you will answer to me."  
  
"Of course," Eckhart replied, his dark eyes sparkling with excitement. As he rose to leave with Jennifer, the two of them regarded Natalia expectantly for a moment, like a pair of wolves waiting for her to join them.  
  
Natalia stood still with Adam at her side. Her troubled gaze followed them as they left.  
  
"She'll be all right." Adam reassured her, arm around her shoulders.  
  
Natalia allowed the moment to pass and smiled up at Adam. It was time to go home.  
  
THE END  
  
Thanks for reading my story. Hope you all liked it. Thanks for the feedback- on yet another read, I think I figured out where the confusion was- I don't keep track of time very well-- and hopefully corrected it. Please R/R. 


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